A COVENTRY-BASED detective agency has taken on extra staff to cope with investigating business-related crime.

Expert Investigations, which is based at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Business Innovation Centre in Binley, has recruited three full-time and three part-time specialist staff to take its workforce to 38.

Former Warwickshire Police intelligence officer David Kearns set up the detective investigation agency 12 years ago to specialise in providing confidential enquiries into theft, fraud, false absenteeism, employment issues, breach of contracts, security and risk assessment.

David said the core of their work remained centred on theft and fraud in companies ranging from plcs to SMEs.

“We have taken on three former officers from the police crime unit as part of our fraud squad and three former national surveillance and anti-terrorism officers,” said managing director David.

“The majority of our work covers false absenteeism, false claims, harassment in the workplace and fraud, which is increasingly prevalent these days.

“Businesses can have had a tip-off from an employee, a customer or a supplier or they may have found something in their company accounts which doesn’t quite add up and we are called in to help prove or disprove the claims. We gather the evidence and then preserve and present it to our client.

“We work across all sectors from the legal sector and manufacturing to banking and telecoms.

“The increasing advances in technology is making it very easy to commit offences in theft, fraud and dishonesty, and people are more prevalent to commit internal theft.”

He said some cases investigated by the firm could be wrapped up in three to five days. But other, more complex investigations can take as long as a year.

He added: “We also run seminars to give advice and have been part of advisory panels which have written white papers on preventing business crime.

“We have four fundamentals to our success – the right people with the right skills, the right equipment and right support.”

The firm has offices in Birmingham and London as well as in Binley and plans are in the pipeline to open a fourth office in Leeds later this year.

“Since our work takes us throughout the country, the base at Binley is great because we are located near the country’s major motorways which makes it easier for travelling to our clients and carrying out our work,” David said.

Penny Robb, centre manager at the Business Innovation Centre in Binley, said: “Theft and fraud in the workplace is becoming more common which is why extra staff have been needed to cope with an increasing workload.

“Their painstaking work can have serious repercussions for individuals and companies and they have deservedly built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading detective agencies.

“The business innovation centre is proud to have such a myriad of different companies in varying sectors working here and it creates a real synergy around the place.”